Among Celeb Stalkers, Law & Order Creep Could be Worse

November 2, 2010

Charles Nagel, a 36-year-old Philadelphia man whom the Daily News describes as “a pudgy creep,” went on trial in Brooklyn Federal Court today for allegedly stalking and harassing a Law & Order: Criminal Intent star by repeatedly visiting her on the show’s set and sending angry Facebook messages to her family when she spurned his advances.

Nagel, whose obsession with the 44-year-old Kathryn Erbe apparently began when he once visited the set with his family to take a picture with the star, is accused of harassing the TV detective by sending bizarre Facebook messages to her brother and 14-year-old daughter, once “forcibly trying to hug the actress” on the show’s set, and writing angry letters begging her to “talk to me and end my heartache.”

The News also says that in court today, federal prosecutors read aloud these excerpts from Nagel’s creepy Facebook messages. Some of his gems include:

“I want her to open her eyes to look in mine and make love.”

“I get mad if I read about another guy loving her. I want to be the only one.”

“I’m not some joker who fell off the back of a carnival truck.”

“She’s pretending she’s better and the shower of love will never stop coming.”

While Nagel does come off as a little wacky (the News makes an effort to point out he named his daughters “Batgirl” and “Harleyquinn” after the Batman characters), Erbe might’ve gotten off easy with his creepy Facebook messages.

Earlier this month, for instance, a retired FDNY firefighter was arrested for stalking Madonna. Robert Linhart, 59, told cops at the time: “I won’t stop until I actually meet Madonna” and that he planned to “go right back there and do it again.” He was arrested outside her apartment holding a sign that said, “The Universe brought us together in 1992 and again this year in Prague. Meet me please” and was also rung up on a weapons possession charge for an ice pick he had in his car.

In April, 27-year-old Justin Massler was charged with allegedly terrorizing Ivanka Trump with “creepy e-mails” to her husband (New York Observer publisher Jared Kushner) in which Massler threatened to kill himself in Trump’s jewelry store.

Even supermodel-turned-talk-show-host Tyra Banks had a harrowing stalker experience when a Georgia man traveled cross-country to slip into her talk show’s Chelsea studios, forcing staffers to “barricade” themselves in Banks’s dressing room.

Meanwhile, 39-year-old Jack Jordan (who was famously convicted in 2008 for stalking Uma Thurman for two years) has allegedly “struck again” — the Post says he called Thurman’s office and cell phone last week. Jordan had allegedly slept in his car in front of Thurman’s house “to stay close to her” and once sent her “a photo of a bride with her head torn off and a drawing of a stick figure standing atop a razor blade.” Creeeeepy.

Nagel has pleaded not guilty. Erbe, who played Vincent D’Onofrio’s partner on the series for eight years, will be reprising the role for the show’s final season next year.